Building Bridges And
Realistic
Model Railroad Buildings

There’s little doubt that
realistic water on a train layout is a fantastic way to attract interest and lend
authenticity to a scene. Although the water itself is a great dramatic element, nothing enhances
water like a good bridge!

On
the other hand, a bridge doesn’t necessarily have to span water. Any deep gully
or gorge that would be too expensive to fill and level for right of way is a
candidate for a bridge of some kind. And, since you have control over your
entire miniature world, YOU get to decide where the land requires
one.

Many railroads include
spectacular trestles and bridges spanning hundreds of scale feet which dwarf the
trains that run across them. They range from spindly trestles atop a dense forest
of wooden bents to massive girders and concrete piers spanning wide rivers. Where
there is marine traffic on the waterway as well as a rail span, movable bridges
allow convenient coexistence and an opportunity to add action to a
model.

If you are an advanced modeler, you have no doubt built a bridge
or two in your career. A long bridge makes a pretty good winter scratch building
project that won’t break the budget. On the other hand, a complex large bridge
might be a little too much to attempt at first. Plus, adding a large bridge to an
existing layout involves a lot of changes to base scenery and trackage, even if
there is an existing waterway to span. If you are creating a lake or river as well,
the difficulty multiplies.

The above links show examples of downloadable
cardstock railroad buildings that are very reasonably priced and look absolutely amazing when
constructed. This website also shows videos ofhow to
scratch build model railroad buildingsusing this
simple but effective process. The plans for sale are easy to download and the parts are clearly
labeled and easy to join together. Painting and weathering is not required as each plan already
includes roofing, doors and windows... and is finished in a design using bricks, wood, tiles,
slate, concrete, stone... or whatever exterior finish looks best for the structure. So the plans
are not just templates, they are complete kit designs ready to print and assemble.

Bridges are structures usually
manufactured and put in place to span obstacles e.g. a valley or ravine, a stretch of water, or a
freeway or road, to give a passageway over the physical barrier. There are certainly numerous
design options, and the bridge type is usually decided depending on the unique situation and the
type of obstacle that needs to be spanned. Different purposes will depend on different uses and
situations.

In real life situations, railroad
bridge designs will therefore vary according to the function and proposed use or required
weight/load capacity of the bridge. Designs will be dependent on the nature and severity of the
landscape terrain where the bridge will be located and anchored in place. Which materials are used
will also depend on the intended usage along with the amount of available funds available to
construct it.

>In early times railway bridges
were constructed from logs dragged into place by humans or animals as no machinery was available.
The logs would probably have been cut into spans with basic crossbeams and supports. Wooden planks
might have been added to give a smooth crossing surface. Stones might also have been utilized as
supports or anchors.

These days bridge construction is
more sophisticated with particular attention given to weight distribution, tension forces, bending
and movement, compression, torsion and the shear distributed throughout the structure. A number of
different bridge types are common including: tied arch, suspension, arch bridge, truss bridge,
cantilever, cable stayed, and beam bridges. There are even movable and double deck bridges. Other
bridge types are: viaducts, three way bridges, and aqueducts. There are numerous bridge varieties
which makes them an ideal feature for any model railroad.Trains look amazing when crossing bridges,
so they are usually a great addition to miniature railroads.